Phytophthora cinnamomi is one of the world's most invasive plant pathogens affecting ornamental plants, horticultural crops and natural ecosystems. Accurate diagnosis is very important to determine the presence or absence of this pathogen in diseased and asymptomatic plants. In previous studies, P. ...

Globally, Phytophthora cinnamomi is listed as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species and active management is required to reduce impact and prevent spread in both horticulture and natural ecosystems. Conversely, there are regions thought to be suitable for the pathogen where no disease is...

Successful invaders must overcome biotic resistance, which is defined as the reduction in invasion success caused by the resident community. Soil microbes are an important source of community resistance to plant invasions, and understanding their role in this process requires urgent investigation....

The native forest-tree pathogen Ceratocystis tsitsikammensis infects native trees (e.g. Virgilia divaricata) and Acacia mearnsii, an invasive alien and important forestry tree in South Africa. We explored the physiological effects of infection by this fungus on these two tree species, within the...

Globally destructive crop pathogens often emerge by migrating out of their native ranges. These pathogens are often diverse at their centre of origin and may exhibit adaptive variation in the invaded range via multiple introductions from different source populations. However, source populations are ...

Biological invasions, resulting from deliberate and unintentional species transfers of insects, fungal and oomycete organisms, are a major consequence of globalization and pose a significant threat to biodiversity. Limiting damage by non-indigenous forest pathogens requires an understanding of...

The worldwide trade of agricultural products and high levels of disturbance and fertilisation make arable lands particularly vulnerable to biological invasions. Clearing for the development of arable land has been an unprecedented event that created a new and more homogeneous habitat which allowed...

In Europe, both Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) and London plane (the hybrid between P. orientalis and P. occidentalis, known as Platanus × hispanica, P. × acerifolia, P. × hybrida, and P. × intermedia) trees are seriously threatened by the invasive fungal pathogen Ceratocystis platani, the...

Raffaelea lauricola, a fungus causing a vascular wilt (laurel wilt) in Lauraceae trees, was introduced into the United States in the early 2000s. It has devastated forests in the Southeast and has now moved into the commercial avocado groves in southern Florida. Trained detection canines are...

Following the near-obliteration of American chestnut (Castanea dentata [Marsh.] Borkh.) by the chestnut blight early in the last century, interest in its restoration has been revived by efforts to develop a blight-resistant form of the species. We summarize progress and outline future steps in two...